if you don't give out candy for halloween...

[ma23peas]

My kids will take anything, love the caprisun/chip ideas..anything they can take as a snack on the go (we're always on the go!)...pretzels, raisin boxes, nuts, granola, just nothing homemade..I'm too paranoid to let kids eat homemade trail mix!

 

:) Thanks for asking!

[milovany]

We don't give out anything.....close and lock the door, turn off the light and go out back for our own Harvest Party. .... campfire, cookout, pinata, games, singing and laughing.

 

Nice to know we're not the only ones! We turn off all the lights and hide out, eating a candlelight picnic in the living room. :D

 

Phew! I was beginning to think I was the only "grump" here.

 

I don't give out anything... Two years ago I decided I just wasn't participating. It was so freeing to turn out the light that night!

 

Thankfully we live in a neighborhood with only 24 houses and we all live on at least 2 acres where our houses are set back pretty far and it is dark and a LONG way to walk up to the house. No one comes here for Halloween.

 

Ditto!!!

 

I'm not understanding why all these replies on this thread? The OP asked what people DO give out in place of candy, if not candy. If you don't give out anything, why post? (Honestly, it comes across as "We think Halloween is awful and don't understand why anyone would take part." If you think this, maybe start your own thread about the evils of Halloween, but why introduce grump on someone else's thread?).

 

Feeling grumpy myself today, I guess. :tongue_smilie:

[Pam Wilhelm]

I'm not understanding why all these replies on this thread? The OP asked what people DO give out in place of candy, if not candy. If you don't give out anything, why post? (Honestly, it comes across as "We think Halloween is awful and don't understand why anyone would take part." If you think this, maybe start your own thread about the evils of Halloween, but why introduce grump on someone else's thread?).

 

Feeling grumpy myself today, I guess. :tongue_smilie:

 

Lighten up, Frances.

 

I know for myself, I just don't get into Halloween... I don't care if anyone else does it or not. I don't think it is "awful".... just not my cup of tea. Sorry for raining on your parade....I thought it was a free speech kind of country....Perhaps I was mistaken.

[Farrar]

Honestly, I'd probably just give out candy. I remember that when I received bags of pretzels, goldfish, etc when I was a kid, it would just get thrown away when I got home. Kids are looking for candy on Halloween.

 

Actually, my kids like getting a few bits of noncandy treats, especially a juice box, which we never have here.

 

Generally runs from 5:30 until 8. It's a madhouse, complete with walking police patrols. Some people really get into it, and in years with warm weather, we top 1000 visitors. It's just annoying that people come here from OTHER TOWNS and expect me to provide candy. Doubly annoying that the police encourage it.

 

Gosh, I sound really cranky. I really enjoyed Halloween when my kids were little- one of us took the kids out while the other stayed home to hand out candy. We didn't think it was fair to go out but not give candy out. I've done my time.

 

We trick or treat in the neighborhood adjacent to ours and it's like that. Though, actually 1000 is probably on the low end. They close off the street and there's bonfires and shadow puppets in the road and a whole band sometimes - one year there was a Thriller flash mob. There are lines at the houses. It's INSANE. We're not home, so we have no way to give out candy, so I always buy several bagfuls and then dump them into people's stashes who are giving out the candy on that street. They usually look really grateful!

[milovany]

Lighten up, Frances.

 

I know for myself, I just don't get into Halloween... I don't care if anyone else does it or not. I don't think it is "awful".... just not my cup of tea. Sorry for raining on your parade....I thought it was a free speech kind of country....Perhaps I was mistaken.

 

I've always liked the name Frances. :D

 

Honestly, we don't tend to get into Halloween either, and yes there's free speech in this country; people can obviously post at-will in this type of forum format. I just don't understand why some would answer a question that was not directed at them with a reply that kinda disses the content of the question. (IRL, we would call that "wude," you know?) But OH, WELL. Just something of a pet peeve, I guess.

 

Carry on ....

Edited September 12, 2011 by milovaný

[Birdwinglips]

My 10yo son decided last year he was going to stay home and give out candy. He uses a wheelchair for distance, and after 7 years of trick or treating him around I was really thankful he did!! I took the girls T and T'ing and dad stayed with him.

 

We had two containers. The bigger kids got the little candies. The littler kids got pretzels, gold fish, teddy grahams. The parents seemed to appreciate that for the littler ones.

[HeidiKC]

Generally runs from 5:30 until 8. It's a madhouse, complete with walking police patrols. Some people really get into it, and in years with warm weather, we top 1000 visitors. It's just annoying that people come here from OTHER TOWNS and expect me to provide candy. Doubly annoying that the police encourage it.

 

Gosh, I sound really cranky. I really enjoyed Halloween when my kids were little- one of us took the kids out while the other stayed home to hand out candy. We didn't think it was fair to go out but not give candy out. I've done my time.

 

So what is the big draw?! What the heck do you and your neighbors give out? Maybe I should bring my kids there this year! Heh heh!

[HeidiKC]

Actually, my kids like getting a few bits of noncandy treats, especially a juice box, which we never have here.

 

 

 

We trick or treat in the neighborhood adjacent to ours and it's like that. Though, actually 1000 is probably on the low end. They close off the street and there's bonfires and shadow puppets in the road and a whole band sometimes - one year there was a Thriller flash mob. There are lines at the houses. It's INSANE. We're not home, so we have no way to give out candy, so I always buy several bagfuls and then dump them into people's stashes who are giving out the candy on that street. They usually look really grateful!

 

Wow - that sounds really fun for the kids!

[Stacia]

I'm not understanding why all these replies on this thread? The OP asked what people DO give out in place of candy, if not candy. If you don't give out anything, why post? (Honestly, it comes across as "We think Halloween is awful and don't understand why anyone would take part." If you think this, maybe start your own thread about the evils of Halloween, but why introduce grump on someone else's thread?).

 

:iagree:

 

:D

[Pam Wilhelm]

:iagree:

 

:D

 

 

Okay..... the title of the thread is....

 

if you don't give out candy for halloween...

what do you give? I am thinking of NOT handing out candy this year, but I am not sure. So I was curious if I was alone.

 

 

My reply was, more or less, that we don't give out any candy. How is that against the rules for what we ccan answer?

 

Question: If you don't give out candy for Halloween what do you give?

Answer: We don't give out any candy.

 

Statement: I am thinking about NOT handing out candy this year, but I am not sure. So I was curious if I was alone.

 

Reply: We do not give out candy but have a party in the backyard with the kids. Implication: You are not alone if you weren't going to hand out candy.

 

Now if she had asked "What do you give out that is not candy"....then you would be correct....but I probably still would have responded.

[milovany]

Okay..... the title of the thread is....

 

if you don't give out candy for halloween...

what do you give? I am thinking of NOT handing out candy this year, but I am not sure. So I was curious if I was alone.

 

My reply was, more or less, that we don't give out any candy. How is that against the rules for what we can answer? Nowhere did I talk about breaking rules.

 

Question: If you don't give out candy for Halloween what do you give?

Answer: We don't give out any candy. Which doesn't answer the question.

 

Statement: I am thinking about NOT handing out candy this year, but I am not sure. So I was curious if I was alone. That's not what she asked/said. This implies she's asking her question because she's thinking of not participating in Halloween this year, but the original question was "what do you give [instead]?" and post #5 shows she was meaning "What alternatives to candy are there?"

 

Reply: We do not give out candy but have a party in the backyard with the kids. Implication: You are not alone if you weren't going to hand out candy. I truly do hope you have a great time in the backyard with your kids, but it still doesn't address the question she asked.

 

Now if she had asked "What do you give out that is not candy"....then you would be correct....but I probably still would have responded. I believe this IS what she asked.

 

Seriously, I was not trying to make this a big deal, but if you want to discuss it: The title of the thread (and the content of the first post, as well as post #5 by the OP) shows that she meant what you say in the end above: "What do you give out that is not candy?" You take a lot of interpretive license with the scenario you paint above; it got morphed into a question different from the one she asked in her first post.

 

Kfeusse, if I'm wrong, feel free to call me a dork (or Frances) and correct me.

Edited September 12, 2011 by milovaný

[Stacia]

I still agree with Milovaný on this one.

 

Question: If you don't give out candy for Halloween what do you give?

Answer: We don't give out any candy.

 

You agreed w/ the first part of the question (the statement part), yet didn't actually answer the question part (which implies 'what do you give INSTEAD?', even though 'instead' was left out of the question). As Milovaný pointed out, the implied question is indeed confirmed in post #5 by the OP.

 

I think it's really all about the intent of the post. A kind of....

 

Do I really want to give this?

 

Or should I give _________? (fill in other ideas here, such as...)

or or and so on....

[Pam Wilhelm]

I'm done.

 

I don't see what I have done to be called out like this. At this point I feel as though it is pointless for me to be here if I can't answer anyone's posts, I might not stay exactly in line with the "proper" answer. I will bow out ungracefully and leave because I have sullied the hallowed grounds of the WTMforums with my evil personality.

 

(I still don't see what I did that warranted this calling out.....:001_huh: )

 

 

:svengo::party:

[sassenach]

Generally runs from 5:30 until 8. It's a madhouse, complete with walking police patrols. Some people really get into it, and in years with warm weather, we top 1000 visitors. It's just annoying that people come here from OTHER TOWNS and expect me to provide candy. Doubly annoying that the police encourage it.

 

Gosh, I sound really cranky. I really enjoyed Halloween when my kids were little- one of us took the kids out while the other stayed home to hand out candy. We didn't think it was fair to go out but not give candy out. I've done my time.

 

Our neighborhood is similar. Some of the old timers around here just buy tootsie rolls. Cheap, but still participating.

 

I love it, but I've only had a few years doing it. It does get pricey. I think we spent $80 or $90 on candy last year.

[sassenach]

Nm. I'm being cranky.

Edited September 12, 2011 by Shannon831

[Farrar]

So... just goes to show that any thread can go gravely wrong?

[sassenach]

So... just goes to show that any thread can go gravely wrong?

 

Halloween threads going wrong is a seasonal pattern. Just a little preview of the Santa wars!

[Renthead Mommy]

I'm done.

 

I don't see what I have done to be called out like this. At this point I feel as though it is pointless for me to be here if I can't answer anyone's posts, I might not stay exactly in line with the "proper" answer. I will bow out ungracefully and leave because I have sullied the hallowed grounds of the WTMforums with my evil personality.

 

(I still don't see what I did that warranted this calling out.....:001_huh: )

 

 

:svengo::party:

 

You can answer any post you want.

 

It's just nice to answer the actual question. It just get annoying reading posts that don't answer the question. Posts where the writer clearly hasn't read the orginal question or choosen to twist it into something else. Especially to promote their own, different feelings/agenda.

[milovany]

I'm done.

 

I don't see what I have done to be called out like this. At this point I feel as though it is pointless for me to be here if I can't answer anyone's posts, I might not stay exactly in line with the "proper" answer. I will bow out ungracefully and leave because I have sullied the hallowed grounds of the WTMforums with my evil personality.

 

(I still don't see what I did that warranted this calling out.....:001_huh: )

 

 

Please forgive me for offending, Pam, truly. I didn't call you out solely/specifically - I asked a general question about why people felt the need to post replies that didn't answer the OP's very pointed and specific question; posts which, in an nonaggressive way, called into question involvement in the holiday that was being discussed. It's a pet peeve (one that I've probably participated in in the past, truth be told; that's probably why I'm sensitive to it), and I probably shouldn't have hit the Submit Reply button.

[Lady Florida.]

This is weird to me. ToTing is for candy. My own kids have gotten little bags of pretzels, popcorn balls, goldfish crackers, glow jewelry and play-dough, and those are all fine, no complaints. But it would seem like a total kill-joy to me if it were mostly non-candy. It's similar to pinatas at parties where the filler is all whistles, rings and other plastic junk. Sorry. Those are just a super downer.

 

 

This is my thought too. There are a few houses in our neighborhood where they give out bottles of water or juice boxes. Since this is Florida, the kids are usually hot and sweaty (yes, at the end of October), so the drinks are most appreciated. Kids usually drink them while ToTing. In general though, it's a candy holiday.

 

For the past few years we left a bowl on a bench on our front porch. We fill it with non-choclolate candy so it won't melt, and put a note saying we're out ToTing, so please take some but leave some for others. We've never come home to a totally empty bowl.

 

I'm not understanding why all these replies on this thread? The OP asked what people DO give out in place of candy, if not candy. If you don't give out anything, why post?

Feeling grumpy myself today, I guess. :tongue_smilie:

 

I must be feeling grumpy too. Why even respond in this thread if it's only to say we don't give out anything? That wasn't the question.

[Pam Wilhelm]

My humble apologies to all. Obviously I am in error.

 

milovaný, I feel no ill toward you or the others..... I don't understand what I said was wrong, but after 50 years on this earth I have learned that I am not the most socially correct animal sometimes.

 

I liken forums to standing on a porch, sipping tea, and chatting about what we are doing with homeschooling, kids, dogs, etc. If someone next to me had said something about what to give out for a holiday I would say something along the lines of what I said and then watched the conversation progress around the porch. I have no "hidden agenda".... I'm not there to stir up trouble.... the words would just tumble out of my mouth and the conversation would progress.

[NanceXToo]

I have to confess, we throw out all the little plastic rings and such when we get home, the kids don't really want those, they're just more clutter and little junk items ending up on the floor and such.

 

Playdough, stickers, temp tattoos, halloween pencils, etc would get used, though.

 

And my kids never minded getting bags of chips and pretzels and popcorn balls and such in addition to candy. But if MOST people did that and they hardly got any candy, they would probably mind it more. They enjoy getting candy on Halloween!

[GoVanGogh]

Actually, my kids like getting a few bits of noncandy treats, especially a juice box, which we never have here.

Same here!

My son had multiple food allergies when he was younger and wasn't able to have any candy. A few neighbors knew this and would give him a little toy instead, which always melted my heart that they would think of my son and go out of their way to have something for him.

Now DS only has a peanut allergy, but so many people do give out candy with nuts in it and I hate that it all has to go straight into the trash.

DS still isn't a big candy eater - he would much prefer a juice box than candy. We actually save most of the candy for decorating gingerbread houses at Christmas. :D

[Pam Wilhelm]

Have you considered a chat room? That would give you what you are looking for and you wouldn't be considered off the thread topic.

 

Thanks.

[Enough]

We usually give out candy, unwillingly, because we think we "have to", but last year we did a little experiment to test if kids really ONLY want candy for Halloween, as so many people claim. We put a mix of candy (and not, like, black licorice, either :lol:- it was GOOD candy) and other stuff- pencils, spooky tattoos, glow sticks, stickers, silly putty etc and let the kids choose 1-2 things. We were SHOCKED that all of the "stuff" went first. So, at least where we live, candy is not the Holy Grail. ;)

[PinkInTheBlue]

We usually give out candy, unwillingly, because we think we "have to", but last year we did a little experiment to test if kids really ONLY want candy for Halloween, as so many people claim. We put a mix of candy (and not, like, black licorice, either :lol:- it was GOOD candy) and other stuff- pencils, spooky tattoos, glow sticks, stickers, silly putty etc and let the kids choose 1-2 things. We were SHOCKED that all of the "stuff" went first. So, at least where we live, candy is not the Holy Grail. ;)

 

Huh, really? Now that is very interesting. We might give that a try.

 

We don't have very many TOTers but some. It would be affordable to try both as an experiment. Usually we just give out good ol' candy. :)

[Medieval Mom]

Big, shiny, locally grown apples. :)

[Orthodox6]

Although we do not observe Halloween in any format, IF I were to do so, I think I might include a foil-wrapped "handiwipe" (or similar thing) along with the "treat". The kids get plenty sticky/sloppy as the night wears on, and it could be really helpful to have something handy for a quick mop-up.

[ElizaG]

We typically give out one mini candy bar and one non-food item like a Halloween pencil, sticker sheet, or box of tattoos.

 

I'm thinking of dropping the candy this year, though. It's hard to predict how many people will come around, but in our current neighborhood there seem to be very few and we end up with tons of leftovers. The trinkets will keep until next year, but the candy ends up getting eaten by DH and me (since the children already have more than enough). And we really don't need that. :tongue_smilie:

[Spryte]

We have given out tiny goodie bags full of non-food items - the usual stickers, a glow in the dark bouncy ball, plastic trinkets, play dough, etc. We did light-up bracelets one year, which were a huge hit but a lot of them didn't work (Oriental Trading, what can I say?).

 

We don't hand out candy because of DS's allergies, but have found that adding to the landfill with plastic trinkets doesn't feel right either. I really appreciate this thread, and the confirmation that the trinkets stuff often gets tossed.

 

This year, I think it will be play dough, stickers, and pencils. Maybe. :)

 

With our kiddo's allergies, we actually take him TorTing, then he dumps all of the unsafe (for him) candy in our cauldron to hand out, and goes inside to find the goodies left for him by the Switch Witch. I love the Switch Witch! She leaves him a nice toy, a little bit of safe candy, and a few Halloween items he'll enjoy.